Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Twist & Shout - The Beatles
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
New Year’s Day - U2
Pulling things a little more modern since the classic era is well trod in this thread…
Ball and a Biscuit - White Stripes
46 and 2 - Tool
Teenage Riot - Sonic Youth
Scrolling through my Spotify playlist, I kept saying “Ooo. Got to include that one”. Then there would be another, and another that I just “Had to include”. I finally narrowed it down to three.
Tool - Lateralus (a perfect song)
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (also a perfect song)
Pink Floyd - Us and Them (the only thing keeping this from perfection is every time I hear it I want to listen to the rest of the album or it doesn’t feel complete)
Like a Rolling Stone - Dylan
Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Since I agree that it’s impossible to list just three and the very top changes depending on my mood, I’m going to go with three that I’m pretty sure haven’t been mentioned:
4th of July - X
Already Gone - The Eagles
God is a Bullet - Concrete Blonde
Yeah, no.
“List 3 songs that haven’t been listed yet” would be some other thread. It may be impossible for you to list your three favorite rock and roll songs, but over 100 people here seem to have no problem with the concept.
“Highway to Hell” - AC/DC
“Sweet Child Of Mine” -Guns N Roses
“House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals
I am posting again not because I have changed my mind but because there so many GREAT songs and on any given day I am asked this question I could have three different answers depending on my mood and what songs come to mind.
My current 3 favorites to play are:
‘Can’t Get There from Here’ - R.E.M.
'(What’s so Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding’ - Elvis Costello version
‘In the Meantime’ - Spacehog
Good one! My favorite Costello song (yeah, I know Nick Lowe wrote it, but EC’s version, produced by Nick, is much better than the Brinsley Schwarz recording).
I could list a million, but I think these three are essential:
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Authority Song - John Cougar Mellencamp
I do not get the love for this song. Was it because Rolling Stone listed it as the greatest song of all time?
Yes!
Yes, Concrete Blonde songs are definitely in the running; Johnette Napolitano and James Mankey are a unique rock combo, whoever their drummer is at the time. So I’ll offer this as my current top 3 rock’n’roll songs of all time
Free -Concrete Blonde
Freewill - Rush
Free Ride - The Edgar Winter Group
Great question….
“Never In Vain” - Bloodkin
“Everybody Needs Love” - Drive-By Truckers
“Dancing in the Dark” - Bruce Springsteen
“Like a Rolling Stone” - Bob Dylan
“Angie” - Rolling Stones
“White Rabbit” - Jefferson Airplane
The poignant lyrics can resonate on a very personal level, even without a strict parallel to the listener’s own story.
There’s a tendency to reject clichés. But often a cliché is correct: Casablanca really is the greatest film ever. Marilyn Monroe really is the sexiest actress ever. Albert Einstein really is the most creative genius of the 20th century.
. . . And “Like a Rolling Stone” really is one of the very greatest songs of all time.
No for Casablanca, no for Monroe, and probably for Einstein.
And hell no for Dylan.
This morning:
“Gimme Shelter” - Stones
“Whippin’ Post” - Allman Bros
‘96 Tears” - ? and the Mysterians
That opening bass-line is Pure Magic!
It was also covered by the Rolling Stones. It’s Rolling Stones all the way down!
Speaking of the Rolling Stones, I think “Gimme Shelter” is the thread winner so far, at 10 mentions according to a thread search.